At some point, most of us will face some kind of legal threat. Whether it's a traffic accident or a professional dispute, there may be times where you want to be aware of your legal rights and whether a legal challenge is warranted. In those cases, you'll want to turn to a lawyer for advice. Here's how you can choose a reputable one.

Consider Your Need

Remember, much like doctors or any other professional, lawyers have different areas of expertise. You'll need to find a lawyer who specializes in the area that you need help in. For example, don't call a personal injury lawyer to help you with your small claims bid to get your last security deposit back, or contact a divorce lawyer when someone's sued you over a traffic accident. Every lawyer has some basic understanding of the legal system, but not all of them have studied the nuances of or specialize in each particular area. When you begin your legal search, first narrow it down to the type of case you're dealing with.

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Word of Mouth

Personal referrals and professional networks are where most people find legal representation. Almost everyone knows someone who knows a lawyer, the question is whether or not that lawyer specializes in the subject area you need.

Ask your friends and family if they have friends or have done business with a lawyer that represented them well and charged them fairly in the past. Even if the referral turns out to be someone who isn't an expert in your needed area, they may be able to refer you to someone they trust who is, and personal referrals can be worth more than all the web searches in the world.

Call Your Local Bar Association

Both the American Bar Association and various state and local Bar Associations offer search and referral tools to help you find legal representation based on the type of lawyer you're looking for. Bar Associations aren't able to help you directly, but they can give you wholesale listings of practicing and certified lawyers who specialize in your subject area. They won't help you make the subjective decision of whether or not a lawyer has a track record of successful litigation or charges fairly, but they're a great place to start narrowing down your search if you don't have anywhere else to start.

Additionally, look for lawyer's groups and legal aid groups that specialize in the type of issue you're facing. Some of this involves web searching, but you can find a lot of this information by calling your state Bar Association. Even if they can't make specific recommendations, they can direct you to professional groups of lawyers who specialize in different areas, like health care law, employment law, and more. Photo by Pawel Loj.

Contact Your Insurance Company

In many cases, your auto insurance company will defend you in court after an accident, but your home insurance company or renter's insurance company will also step in to assist in certain other issues as well. Give them a call and ask to speak to their legal department. Even if they can't represent you for your specific issue, they may be able to refer you to someone who can.

Web Resources

Legal aid sites like LawHelp.org and ProBono.net all offer legal aid and referrals to people who need representation or legal consultation but don't know where to start. LawHelp specifically offers state-by-state referral listings so you can at least get solid leads on lawyers able to help with your needs or your case.

Nolo is another service that provides a lawyer search service and legal information on a state-by-state basis. Nolo's database is part lawyer search and part broad legal information service, but lawyers listed on the site have profiles that outline their areas of expertise, education, fees, and experience. Still, as with everything easily available on the web, take your research with a grain of salt and use it as a path for more information as opposed to definitive fact. Photo by John Marino.

Make the Call

Now that you have some leads, it's time to make phone calls. You'll want whatever documentation you have on your legal issue or question in order, and you'll want to take the first phone call as a kind of interview where you can exchange questions and information about your case (or at least as an opportunity to set up that Q&A.)

The lawyer you call will likely want to talk to you about your needs or your issue to determine whether it's a case they'd like to take. Similarly, you should take the opportunity to ask the lawyer about his or her experience, litigation history, fees, and experience specific to issues like yours. That way you can make a determination as to whether you want to hire the lawyer, just as they'll determine whether they want to take your case.

Don't hesitate to check your local bar for more information on the specific lawyers you plan to speak with, and don't hesitate to ask for and then check on those lawyers' references before making a decision.

Keeping a lawyer on retainer is impossibly expensive for most people, but whether someone has threatened you with a lawsuit or you just want to consult someone about your rights in a given situation, finding the right lawyer is important.

Have you hired a lawyer, or are you a lawyer yourself? How did you find one you trusted, or how do you advise clients find you? Leave your tips in the comments below.

Crash Course is a twice-weekly series of guides to life skills everyone should know but you may have been afraid to ask. Do you have an everyday problem you wish someone had taught you to solve? Let us know at tips+crashcourse@lifehacker.com.